When it comes to political reprimands, there are several options, including expulsion, a vote of no-confidence, or a censure. Of those three, the censure is the least aggressive. It’s also the most common option, but even so, it isn’t utilized that frequently.
A censure is a formal reprimand, but it has very few lasting impacts. Censures are seen most often with state legislatures, political parties, and Congress.
If a person is censured by a government entity, the punishment is symbolic and has no lasting tangible implications. However, being censured by a political party can have more lasting impacts because it could mean the party will no longer financially support the censured party.
Recently, the Republican National Committee censured Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinginzer (R-IL), saying they weren’t supporting the RNC’s beliefs. In its censure resolution, the RNC stated it would no longer support the pair as members.
